CAMDEN COUNTY NJ HMTS ROHNA MEMORIAL

HMT Rohna

        Twelve soldiers from Camden County- six men from South Camden, one from Haddonfield, one from Blackwood, one from Lindenwold, and one from Pennsauken- seven of them members of the 31st Signal Construction Battalion, died together when the troop transport HMT Rohna was struck by a German guided glider bomb and sank of the coast of North Africa. In addition, several other men from South Jersey were also lost. A total of 1,015 men were lost that day, but the story was never told to the families or the general public for over 57 years due to wartime censorship. At the time, conflicting stories were issued about the fates of these men. Some families were told that their sons were killed, others were told that their family members were missing in action. What little information that was released was delayed for months after the incident.
       While during wartime, an excuse for censorship existed, any excuse for not revealing the truth about what happened to these men ended at the close of WWII. Virtually all of the parents of the men who died when the Rohna sank went to their graves never knowing the fate of their sons, and that was simply wrong. Not only were the families wronged, but in the case of Camden, an entire community was violated. Simply put, by January of 1946, the truth should have been told.... try to imagine if SIX young men from your community disappeared without explanation one day.
        The purpose of this page is to pay tribute to these young men who died for their country, and to call attention to the event so that young people may be told, and their memory endure forever.

The Rohna Survivors Memorial Association

MSNBC Coverage - Tom Brokaw
Read the article OR see the video

JULY 27, 2002 - CAMDEN, NJ HOSTS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR HMT ROHNA VICTIMS & FAMILIES

Royal Navy,
British Merchant Navy & Indian Merchant navy
ROHNA CASUALTIES

Lost In The Service Of Our Country November 27, 1943
Name	Rank	Home	Last Known Camden County Address	Survivors- Listed in the hope that a family member finds this	Age
Frank Ballerino	PVT	CAMDEN	2004 South 10th Street	Uncle, Charles Graziosa Brother, Charles Ballerino	24
Elmer F. Day	SGT	MERCHANTVILLE	521 Lexington Ave.
Michael Carr	TEC5	CAMDEN	1059 Everett Street	His wife, Mrs. Anna Carr
Jacob K. Jenkins	PVT	PENNSAUKEN
Carl E. Johanson	SGT	PENNSAUKEN	5019 Jefferson Ave.
Joseph H. Johnson	PFC	CAMDEN	1273 Merrimac Road	His wife, Mrs. Julia Johnson
Stephen V. Koscianski	TEC5	CAMDEN	St Joseph's Parish	His mother, Mrs. Antonia Koscianski	34
William R. McKeon	PVT	BLACKWOOD	Pine Avenue
Merl H Reagle	PVT	LINDENWOLD	Maple Avenue	Parents, Mr. & Mrs. Edward Reagle	21
Lewis A. Riondino	SGT	CAMDEN	1474 South 4th Street	Parents, Mr. & Mrs. Salvatore Riondino	32
Harry V. Taylor, Jr.	PFC	HADDONFIELD	3 Kings Highway East	Parents, Mr. & Mrs. Harry V. Taylor Sr.	19
Michael Yachus Michael Yatzus	PVT	CAMDEN	698 Viola Street	Wasyl & Anna Yatzus

SPONSORED BY AMERICAN LEGION POST 274
Situated on the grounds on the grounds of American Legion Post 274 at Broadway & Jefferson Street in Camden NJ, this monument in inscribed with the names of 24 men from what was then the 8th Ward of Camden NJ, who gave their lives in the service of our nation during World War II. Three of these men, Frank Ballerino, Michael Carr, & Michael Yachus, met their fate when the HMT Rohna was sunk by a German guided missile. Please note that Private Michael Yachus family spells the name as on the monument "YATZUS". When he went into the Army, he went in as "YACHUS", that is how he is listed on all Department of War records. Click on the photos to see enlarged views of each picture. Below you will find a list of all those named on this monument. You can click on their names and elsewhere to find out more about each individual.
CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR ENHANCED VIEWS

SPONSORED BY POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS - So. Jersey Division
Adjacent to the 8th Ward of Camden lies the then mostly Polish parish of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, centered around the church at 10th & Mechanic Streets. In 1995 the South Jersey Division of the Polish American Congress honored the lost heroes of St. Joseph's parish with a monument at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken NJ. One of the 39 men whose names are engraved on this monument, Stephen V. Koscianski was aboard the HMT Rohna when she sank on November 27, 1943.
CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR ENHANCED VIEWS

SPONSORED BY DELAWARE GARDENS FIRE COMPANY
On the grounds of the Delaware Gardens Fire Company at 47th Street and Browning Road in Pennsauken NJ, this monument is dedicated to the nine men and one woman who gave their lives in the service of our nation during World War II. Of the nine men whose names are engraved on this monument, Jacob Kessler Jenkins was aboard the HMT Rohna when she sank on November 27, 1943.
CLICK ON THE PICTURES FOR ENHANCED VIEWS

BLACKWOOD NJ
Erected in 1947, this monument is dedicated to the men and women from the Blackwood NJ area who served in World War II. Four men who lost their lives in World War II are noted on this monument. Of these four, Walter McKeon of Blackwood NJ lost his life when the Rohna was attacked on November 27, 1943.

OTHER SOUTH JERSEY MEN LOST ON THE ROHNA November 27, 1943
Name	Rank	UNIT	Last Known Address	TOWN
William T. Eastlack	TEC4	31st Signal Construction Bn	142 I Street	Carney's Point
Clarence T. Jaggers	PVT	853rd Engineer Bn, Aviation	Columbia Road & St. James Walk	National Park
Andrew W. Olsen	SGT	853rd Engineer Bn, Aviation		Dorothy
Aldo Stefannice	TEC5	31st Signal Construction Bn	74 Norman Avenue	Pennsgrove
Carlton P. Hogan	CAPT	322nd Fighter Control Sq	207 East Union St.	Burlington
Millard E. Buckingham	TEC4	31st Signal Construction Bn	38 Grant Street	Deepwater
Emerson Spears	TEC4	31st Signal Construction Bn		Pennsgrove
Thomas S. H. Walker Jr.	MSGT	US INFANTRY	59 East 2nd Street	Moorestown


CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J. THE ROHNA DISASTER WWII WAR MEMORIAL
http://www.msnbc.com/news/508418.asp